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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · lean · degree · bore · perch · fork · rash · game

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. degree — from a university
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bore — to tire
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lean — thin
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rash — a series
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. degree — an amount
  16. game — a match
  17. fork — in a road
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to drill
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com